From The Boston Globe: Rounder Records is Sold
Suzanne Kreiter/Globe File Photo
Rounders Records founders Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin, and Marian Leighton Levy.
Globe Staff April 14, 2010 11:48 AM
The Concord Music Group announced the acquisition of the Massachusetts-based independent music label Rounder Records.
A press release issued by Concord Music and Rounder did not include a purchase price.
Rounder focuses on American roots music in such genres as bluegrass, Americana, Cajun & Zydeco and children’s music. To read a recent Globe story about Rounder and the role it has played in the local music scene, please click here.
“Rounder’s creative and marketing functions will continue to be based in Boston, and its owners and founders Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin, and Marian Leighton Levy will remain active with the company in a creative and advisory capacity,” the press release said. “The company’s senior management will also remain in place.”
The press release included a statement from Glen Barros, president and chief executive of Concord Music Group.
“The combination of Concord and Rounder makes so much sense on a creative, strategic and cultural level,” Barros said. “With the addition of Rounder, Concord is gaining a magnificent catalog of recordings, the opportunity to work with more of the world’s most amazing artists, and a company filled with some great people. Plus, Rounder’s uncompromising commitment to authenticity and intense independent spirit is perfectly in line with everything that Concord is about.”
From Wikipedia:
Concord Records is a U.S. record label now based in Beverly Hills, California. Originally known as Concord Jazz, it was established in 1972 as an off-shoot of the Concord Jazz Festival in Concord, California by festival founder Carl Jefferson, a local automobile dealer and jazz fan who sold his Lincoln Mercury dealership to found “the jazz label I can never find in record stores.” Since then, the label has achieved international recognition, as well as 88 Grammy Award nominations and 14 Grammy Awards.
The label issues a large number of live recordings from festivals and other venues, including a series started in 1990 of piano recitals from Maybeck Recital Hall in Berkeley, California by many well known jazz pianists. The original Concord Jazz logo, a stylized eighth note incorporating the C and J of “Concord Jazz,” was created by Bay Area graphic designer Dan Buck, who also worked on several album covers for the company.
Concord includes a family of specialized labels, including Concord Picante for Latin Jazz and Concord Concerto for Classical music.
In 1999, Concord Records was purchased by a consortium led by Hal Gaba and his longtime associate legendary television producer Norman Lear, and moved its offices in 2002 from Concord to Beverly Hills. Its catalog was greatly enhanced in 2004 with the purchase of Fantasy Records. The company is now known as Concord Music Group.
On December 19, 2005, it was announced that the group had purchased Telarc Records and its subsidiary Heads Up, in a deal whose terms have not been divulged.[
Kenny G signed to Concord in early 2008, Herb Alpert in early 2009. On June 5, 2009, Dave Koz signed to Concord.
Rounder Artists (past and present)
* Tom Adams
* Darol Anger
* Etta Baker
* The Balfa Brothers
* Marcia Ball
* Russ Barenberg
* Pierre Bensusan
* Big Shoulders
* Tony Bird
* Norman Blake
* Blue Rodeo
* The Blue Sky Boys
* The Bobs
* Bodeans
* Roy Book Binder
* James Booker
* Sandra Boynton
* Brave Combo
* Bob Brozman
* Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown
* Buckwheat Zydeco
* J J Cale
* Chuck Carbo
* Cephas & Wiggins
* Marshall Chapman
* Bruce Cockburn
* The Cottars
* Country Cooking
* Cowboy Jazz
* Cowboy Junkies
* The Damnwells
* Delta Spirit
* Dennis DeYoung
* Hazel Dickens
* Dirty Dozen Brass Band
* Michael Doucet
* Dry Branch Fire Squad
* John Fahey
* Cathy Fink
* Béla Fleck
* Benton Flippen
* The Freight Hoppers
* J. Geils
* Jimmie Dale Gilmore
* Girl Authority
* Philip Glass
* The Grascals
* David Grisman
* Richard Greene
* David Grier
* Nanci Griffith
* Woody Guthrie
* James “Slim” Hand
* Cheb Hasni
* John Hartford
* Juliana Hatfield
* Holy Modal Rounders
* Sierra Hull
* Mississippi John Hurt
* Huxtable, Christensen & Hood
* The Incredible Casuals
* King Wilkie
* Alison Krauss
* Sleepy LaBeef
* David Laibman
* Lead Belly
* Sondre Lerche
* The LeRoi Brothers
* John Linnell
* Lisa Loeb
* Del McCoury
* John McCutcheon
* Natalie MacMaster
* Magic Dick
* Mike Marshall
* Whistlin’ Alex Moore
* Lynn Morris
* Nashville Bluegrass Band
* Tracy Nelson
* NRBQ
* Alecia Nugent
* Laura Nyro
* Ellis Paul
* Tom Paxton
* Carl Perkins
* Madeleine Peyroux
* Grant-Lee Phillips
* Pianosaurus
* Robert Plant
* Preacher Jack
* Raffi
* Ed Reavy
* Leon Redbone
* Tony Rice
* Jonathan Richman
* Amanda Shaw
* Riders in the Sky
* Jimmie Rodgers multi-volume catalog reissue
* Rush
* Mike Seeger
* Peggy Seeger
* Allen Shelton
* Son Volt
* Jo-El Sonnier
* Ricky Skaggs
* The SteelDrivers
* SteveSongs
* Tut Taylor
* The Tragically Hip
* Ten Shekel Shirt
* Sweet Honey in the Rock
* Vienna Teng
* They Might Be Giants
* Linda Thompson
* George Thorogood and the Destroyers
* Happy & Artie Traum
* Tony Trischka
* Uncle Earl
* Joe Val
* Guy Van Duser
* Rhonda Vincent
* Loudon Wainwright III
* Martha Wainwright
* Doc Watson
* Ween
* Cheryl Wheeler
* The Wild Magnolias
* Bob Wills
Subsidiary labels a.k.a. The Rounder Records Group
* Bullseye Blues
* Dolphin Safe
* Easydisc
* Flying Fish
* Grand Illusion
* Heartbeat
* Heavy Rotation
* Henry Street
* Hudson Music
* Moon Junction
* Philo
* Rounder
* Rounder Specials
* Symmetry
* Trampoline
* Upstart
* Varrick
* Vestapol
* Zoë